Beer of the month

Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues

September 05, 2012

What it is: Sometimes a beer's job is to dazzle, surprise and stretch the palate with intensity and boldness. Then there is the easy-drinking perfection of Dale's Pale Ale, a beer not too simple and not too complex that's just right when the mood calls for balance and moderation. Dale's Pale Ale is the flagship beer of Longmont, Colo.-based Oskar Blues, which began distribution in Chicago in recent weeks. Though it's delicious straight from its 12-ounce can, pour it into a glass for full effect.

In the can: This dark golden brew, lightly tinted orange, is hop-forward, as any self-respecting pale ale should be, with moderate fruit and citrus. Though the hops are the most immediately recognizable factor — again, as they should be in an American pale — they give way to a lightly malty backbone that lends crispness and drinkability. Unlike many pale ales, Dale's Pale Ale resists the temptation to let the hops overwhelm, instead letting them work in a context that ends with just the right bitter snap.

Drink it with: Nothing. You certainly could drink Dale's Pale Ale with a lightly spicy food — hello, Mexican! — but this beer is so finely balanced, I usually just open the can and drink, especially right after work.

Where to buy: Oskar Blues has relatively wide distribution in the Chicago area and is available at finer beer stores.